How To Pack Like a Pro

People ask me how I pack a single rucksack for my travels and my answer: “just roll everything in.” This is the best time to share how I pack for any kind of trip and maybe you will find these tips and tricks useful. “Why?”, you ask. I am getting ready for a trip to Cebu, Philippines via Singapore. Waahay!

Plan. What are you going for here? What kind of trip is this? If it’s a solo trip, you would need to see where to go and what to do at your destination. You need to check the weather forecast so you know what to expect. I packed an umbrella and anorak for the South East Asia trip just because it was the start of the rainy season. It did come in handy, once! Better to be safe than sorry! You should probably do this weeks in advance! Like an eager beaver, 2 or 3 months before your departure date. Just saying.

If you haven’t noticed, I am publicly announcing that I love lists. I love buying notebooks just to write lists in them. I mean, that’s not nerdy at all. It normally means that I can’t have an excuse for forgetting something because I would have written it down. Except, I am most likely going to forget something! My brain.

Since you have an idea of what you have or don’t have. It’s time to buy some essentials. Try to also do this a few weeks in advance so that you have time to return or change goods. I hate last minute shopping – too stressful! The day I went shopping for the Philippines holiday, I returned home with half of the H&M winter sale rack! Plan for such deviations.

Let the fun begin. You now know where you are going and the weather, so it’s time to try on some outfits! This might sound a little silly but it’ll help you pack lighter. No need for extra clothes, just because. This helped me a lot because I bought a bikini online and it turned out to be a little too big. I had to sew it in because I had time and I didn’t feel like wasting money on another set!

Pack, roll, shove. I use the checklist I would have put together weeks in advance. Try to do this 2 or 3 days before you leave so you can add bits that are luxuries. Make sure you have a bit of space for souvenirs that you will buy at your destination.

Lastly, I don’t like checking in my bag. So, 100ml travel bottles are going to save the day. Decant all your toiletries into smaller, accepted containers. Make sure that none of your toiletries have the flammable sign. Even though you can buy the 30 ml travel aerosol deodorants, they are still not allowed in your hand luggage.